Sharps Latest
So, we have now made our final selection for the workshop. Most writers were contacted last Friday but a few are now receiving their invites. I can't answer every comment posted on the blog but i'll try to cover a few areas:
The Shortlist - our original plan was to invite 20 writers to the workshop. But the standard of the work we've received has been high and so we've decided to make space for 25 writers. This meant that it took longer than we had expected to second- and third-read scripts and therefore make final decisions on the last few possible writers. The great thing is, we'll meet more of you at the workshop. I can categorically state that there is no pecking order in that final workshop list - we just had more interesting scripts to consider.than we had anticipated.
Acknowledgments - the gremlins set in when we transferred data across in order to acknowledge receipt of scripts. And it's the first time we've used an online application form. We are methodically working through the submissions to clarify and inform everyone who has contacted us - but you need to bear with us so that we can do it carefully and properly.
Sifting Scripts - a team of experienced script readers looked at every script received and sifted the interesting ones to the next stage. Myself and our in-house script reader second-read these scripts and narrowed down to a longlist, all of which were then read by Kate Rowland, Creative Director of New Writing at the BBC. We then discussed everything that made it through to the longlist and made our final selection. We asked the readers to give the benefit of the doubt, and just over 100 scripts (out of nearly 600) made it through to the second read stage. The shortlist represents an extraordinary range of voices, ideas, styles and talents. For the writers who got to the second round but didn't make the final shortlist - when the dust settles we will let you know that you got to the second stage, with some brief feedback.
Turnaround - our turnaround was always fairly tight and although there have been some acknowledgement problems and a slight extension to our final workshop invitations, I'm really pleased that we've worked our way through all the scripts so quickly and efficiently.
As someone in the blog comments said, it's not rocket science. Indeed not. It's much more complex than that - because we are all individuals striving to be objective and fair, and we are fully aware that we are holding in our hands scripts that represent time, energy, work, imagination and hope...
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~37~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Thank you for the time and effort you have all put in, and good luck to the 25 who got through.
Dawn
Complain about this comment
Piers can you not just list the titles of the winning scripts?...on here
Complain about this comment
Thanks very much for that Paul. Delighted to hear you decided to extend the workshop to include 25 writers.
Heartfelt congrats and best of luck to all.
Complain about this comment
Really enjoyed the exercise - a fantastic initiative. Congrats to all those who got through.
Complain about this comment
Well done to the 25! This was my first attempt at entering a scriptwriting competition and even though I've not been successful I really enjoyed the process of getting the script written, polished and submitted. Thanks to the organisers for keeping everyone informed and for giving those extra few people their chance. :)
Complain about this comment
Congrats to the 25 shortlisters, well done.
Anyone on here been selected then?
Just a suggestion, why not film or transcribe the workshop sessions and post them on WritersRoom, then all of us can benefit.
P.S. I am a rocket scientist (well Aerospace actually....) not sure I really agree with Paul's last paragraph :-)
Here's to the next comp !
Complain about this comment
This was my first ever script so it would be ludicrous to expect to get anywhere… however, I have to say, I had an absolute blast writing it.
I knew absolutely nothing about formatting so before prodding keys I spent a good few days looking through the sample scripts on WR and others I found online. It was fun working out what made them ‘tick’…
I knew nothing (and probably still don’t) about how a story is written in script format… how a plot is best conveyed… or how best to portray characters and deliver dialogue. Inevitably I got more than a few bits ‘wrong’.
I’d never heard of using ‘a light touch’ before now… I haven’t attended any writing classes or workshops so I’m not very conversant with the lingo. I’ve seen this phrase mentioned here and there on different site and blogs… and it sure seems important but I don’t know why.
I’ve only written a handful of short stories up to this point so I’m fully aware that anything I do at this stage - potential natural talent aside - would need a lot more work to match, or better, an entry from someone with more experience. However, I am happy to have completed a 30 minute script, on time.
I’ve heard that it’s a bad idea to have your friends or relatives read your work and ask for their opinion… but I’m not so sure I agree. I don’t have ready access to an agent or publisher… and believe me, my friends and family are the most critical bunch of bastards you could ever hope to meet. No cotton wool there, I assure you.
I’m glad for this opportunity to submit some work to the BBC. My only thought now is to improve. I didn’t get selected so that means my script wasn’t good enough. I’m not particularly happy about this but at the same time I realise that all it really means is I have to get better. I’m not aware of how script readers go about their business… everyone who read my script here really liked it. I had some very useful comments about tightening dialogue, reducing exposition and utilising a tad more subtext (see, I told you they were critical bastards!) which I duly endeavoured to amend. But if I did all that and I still didn’t get selected… well, I have to try even harder then, don’t I?
I guess it’s easy to start thinking of excuses. Or reasons why I wasn’t selected; the readers were obviously too narrow minded… or, despite what they say about the competition being open to all age groups, they’re only really interested in people below 25. You can turn your mind inside out dreaming up this kind of rubbish. And it’ll serve no purpose other than make you think you’re right and they’re wrong. A bad and dangerous road…
So… how do I improve? How to I ensure that the very next script I write is 100% better? I don’t know… there seems to be a lot of information ‘out there’. The ‘net is chock full of advice… and forums, blogs… you name it. There are workshops aplenty. But which advice do I follow… what kind of workshop would be the best for me? If at all? I guess it all depends on what I want to do. On what I want to write.
You know, before all of this a script was just… a script! Damn you BBC… and bless you too. I’ve got the bug now…
By the way, if anyone here, with more experience, would like to read my script, I’d be only too happy to supply it. Tear it and me to pieces… I have broad shoulders. I welcome any advice.
Complain about this comment
I aplogise for any punctuation errors in the post above. Inverted commas have, strangely, become question marks.
I wrote in Word and pasted... I guess that's the problem?
Complain about this comment
I think you forgot my invite; don't worry just send it along when you get a minute ;-}
Complain about this comment
For digital quill, there is a great site, http://www.writerscafe.org/link/308813/
where i got loads of help and there is also another www.zhura.com where there is a small but growing community of script writers.
Of course i would be interested in reading anything anyone else submitted, even if it is to help us all learn and proceed with better writing.
I have a few emails, and will put my second one up till i get to know you then maybe give my first one out.
its savemehead@hotmail.com
so message me anyone, and lets get together and write more....
Dawn
Complain about this comment
digital_quill, I think it's the smart quotes (curly quotes) not translating into the blog's character set. It's easy to turn it off on Word before you write something else.
Complain about this comment
Oh dear...my day started so well when I received an email that had "congratulations" in the subject line. Excitedly I opened it thinking the bright lights of TV world were beckoning only to discover someone had recommended me for 4 free tickets to Alton Towers!
Hung on for that BBC email, but nothing ever arrived.
Oh well, I guess there's still the Corkscrew left!
Complain about this comment
BTW...did forget to say, well done the 25! I am sure you all deserved it!
Complain about this comment
to digital_quill...and everyone else...know the feeling.
I think wanting to 'be a writer' (of any sort) is almost as mad as wanting to 'be in a band'. We've all got about as much hope of being the next Stephen Poliakoff as we have of being the next Noel Gallagher. But we still do it.
Good luck to the 25, you lucky people. Don't waste the opportunity.
I'm off to write a good song now, I can feel it in my bones....'today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you'. There's a riff in my head too.
Think it'll be catchy?
Complain about this comment
Thanks, now_and_then... you're right. Piers has confirmed that Word is using non-ASCII characters. Apparently it's best to use Notepad or Wordpad if composing outside of the Blog comments box.
Congratulations by the way! Enjoy the experience.
Complain about this comment
Congratulations to the shortlisted writers...and thanks to the Beeb team that made this worthwhile exercise enjoyable, exciting and valuable. As a new-comer to scriptwriting and this blog. I have learned a lot from the experience. I wish I had seen the Sharps ad earlier. I guess that my first ten pages were not dynamic enough and though I did consider re-arranging the entire script this would have snow-balled all the way through and I plain ran out of time. If I did make it to the second round then I probably didn't sustain the drama for thirty minutes. We're all capable of self feedback.
I'm pretty sure that if you feel 'this is the best you can do and the passion is there then it's gonna be a winner...somewhere if not the BBC. If you feel otherwise then you just haven't done yourself justice as in my case...I know I coulda done better!
Good luck to everyone in your future projects, it's been interesting reading your comments...keep them coming.
Complain about this comment
Well after being side-tracked by this I had better get my 15 page script finished for my uni course work else that will be a 'fail'.
Well done to those short-listed.
Hope I get some feedback : )
Complain about this comment
Well done the the 25. I hate you all! :-)
So where do failures like me go now? One idea: If anyone is interested in creating a not-so-Sharps self-help, mutual-crit support group and pub-crawl team then I'd be happy to set it up.
We can host the scripts on a server so we don't have to send out 30-page emails to everyone but instead just send a link. (I've got unlimited web space, so that's no problem)
If you might be interested, you can email me at ian@write.roughian.com and we can see if there is any interest. At least we'll know that everyone else is serious enough to have entered Sharps.
Ian.
Complain about this comment
Did anyone else focus on Sergeant Harper?
Complain about this comment
Hope this is OK with the moderators.
There was a little bit of interest in setting up a group initially (at least) for people who submitted to Sharps and want to swap advice, ideas and critiques.
It's here http://groups.google.com/group/sharpshooter
New members have to be approved, but it's only to stop spam, I'll click you through straight away if you mention the BBC, writersroom, Sharps or anything similar - once you're in you can post and upload and download scripts as you like.
My script is already there :-)
Ian
Complain about this comment
Good idea, Ian. We can also use it as a place to trash-talk the writersroom readers.
(^joke).
But, yes, a hearty, sincere congratualtion to the 25 who were successful with this lucky-dip.
I'm heartbroken not to have been put through, but, anyway, I can't really afford an overnight stay in London. So... I'm glad, really.
Really, really glad. Very happy with how it's turned out.
ect ect...
*sigh*
Complain about this comment
Hi! Congratulations to everyone who got through. Would love to go to that workshop though so was feeling pretty miserable yesterday. It's like being back at school waiting for exam results! Looking back, don't think the plot in my script was strong enough - it was my first serious drama script. Is it worth going on a TV scriptwriting course? Has anyone been on one?
Complain about this comment
Re DavidM2000AD - You called it a "lucky dip" - isn't that a bit rough on the talented 25 who got through on the strength of their accomplished scripts?
Complain about this comment
Congratulations to all who are through. I am just glad the show is coming back.
Complain about this comment
Re i_amMisterP
"Congratulations to all who are through. I am just glad the show is coming back."
What show?
Complain about this comment
The one with Sean Bean I am a huge fan.
Complain about this comment
###It's here http://groups.google.com/group/sharpshooter###
I registered but not heard yet
Complain about this comment
Re crazybuttrue - I went on a scriptwriting course recently and it was immensely helpful, I'd highly recommend it.
Having said that, I didn't get through so you might want to ignore any advice I give!! It was my first script though so I'm trying not to feel too deflated. (Trying and failing!!)
Complain about this comment
@ juggles
If anyone has trouble signing up to the follow-on group - http://groups.google.com/group/sharpshooter - then email me directly at ian@write.roughian.com
At the time of writing, there are 34 of us and 12 scripts to read and critique
Ian
Complain about this comment
yea, I got in gzorn
Complain about this comment
Paul,
As a matter of interest, could you tell us the age range of the 'lucky 25'? That information must be to hand since we had to declare it on the application form.
Complain about this comment
Yes, I'd be interested to know about average age. Why did the BBC need to know our age anyway? Also, re. the script, it'll be interesting to see some winning scripts. It's tempting to make it as horrific as possible to get noticed eg. terrorist attack, outbreak of superbug. In the end though, I thought I'd go for a snapshot of normal life. Maybe I do need to do that course ......
Complain about this comment
I agree with Kroggy on this. As you have the information please tell us the age range of the 25 people you have selected.
Complain about this comment
For anyone keen to improve their scriptwriting skills but unable to afford a course (time and money!) I would recommend two books that helped me: Save the Cat and Save the Cat Goes to the Movies, both by Blake Snyder. He gives a list of points that you should have in your plot and the page of your script where they should appear. For example your catalyst should happen by page 12 (and ensuring something happens by page 10 also helps with the 10 page sift). He also gives examples of films and goes through each stage in them, encouraging the reader to watch films and log each point by the minute. So something big has to happen by minute 12. This is aimed at writing for the big screen but I really did find it helpful. By watching films and looking at their structure you really learn how to pace your own writing. The only down side for me was that it has become a little hard to watch a film without shouting out "All is lost page 75!" and as a result my friends won't go to the cinema with me any more. The REALLY great thing is that when you're having a bit of a block you can watch a film and tell yourself you're researching! Anyway, these things are always a matter of personal taste, but I highly recommend both books. If nothing else you will find a list (he calls it a beat sheet) of plot points that you can refer to when you are structuring your plot. Hope this is helpful. Best wishes to all.
Complain about this comment
I've collected a few theories of structure here: http://write.roughian.com/#Structures~Overview
Complain about this comment
Thanks for the information, mabelnomates!
Complain about this comment
to Kroggy et al -
we needed to know writers were over 18 for legal reasons to do with the ultimate residential scheme. if my memory serves me correctly (i don't have access to the data just now) the age range of the workshop writers is between around 19-50
Paul Ashton
writersroom
Complain about this comment
Paul, then if there's a next time, just ask the writer to state they are over 18. There's no need for a birthdate
Complain about this comment
I get a birthday card from the writersroom every year I thought it was something to do with that.
Complain about this comment
As an unsuccessful Sharps entrant I have been tracking this blog for useful information without feeling a need to contribute. And there has been great value.
However I have to protest about the assertion that entrants were 19-50. Does this mean that anyone over 50, which includes me (50 and some), was not considered? How dissappointing that all that pain of creation was in vain.
Oh well! Back to the day job; if only I could remember what it was.
Complain about this comment
Does the absence of an email from the writersroom mean that we didn't make the 10 page sift or is the dust still swirling?
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's biting their nails waiting to see if my script passed the 10 page test. To quote a cult US TV show 'I tried being patient but it took too long' :)
Complain about this comment
Oh! OK! It's the workshop winners that are 19-50 not the entrants. I am clearly more sensitive about this then I thought I was.
Complain about this comment
Dear Bloggers, Paul Ashton and his team.
I have not had anything commissioned but, like many many others who submitted to Sharps, I write with a serious view to being successful in the future. I try to approach my work professionally and to learn as much as I can about the way in which the business operates in order to improve my chances. I don't feel I have a right to be successful just because I want it. I know I'm getting better all the time because I have had increasing success with other submissions. Yes, I did believe in the script I submitted and I was hopeful like everyone else. However, when Monday came and went, though disappointed, I accepted that there were at least 25 (and probably many more) that fulfilled the brief better than mine did. This is an attitude that would be worth acquiring (pretty quickly) by a few people who have contributed to this blog. I began reading it in order to keep up to date with Sharps and have found myself caught up in something that has resembled a week in the Big Brother house. I have been astounded by the constant demands on the time of the writersroom team, nit-picking, and paranoid conspiracy theories. To say that some of the contributors have been unreasonable is an understatement. It is amazing that Writersroom exists and gives opportunities to us all, but at the end of the day the BBC is hardly a charity. The whole purpose is to find the next generation of great writers isn't it? I won't be giving up on the belief that I am one of them just yet, but I know that I have to work and work to improve my writing. I've met hundreds of people on courses or at the Screenwriters Festival, all claiming to be writers but all scratching their heads when asked what they've actually written. You can't expect to be handed opportunities on a plate. I'm amazed at the patience of Paul Ashton and his team - has anyone noticed that there has been no "thank you to all who submitted to Sharps..." post? That's a shame, but hardly surprising. This blog has made the whole experience quite a negative one and I imagine it has been a nightmare for Writersroom to deal with it on top of the pressure of the tight turnaround. I have to say they have done so with patience and respect. It was clearly stated that those shortlisted would be told and when, there was no offer of feedback for unsuccessful writers or postings of who had got through the 'ten page sift'. The conditions were clear and you accepted them when you entered. If you didn't post your script until the very last minute then you had to take the risk that there may be a delay in it getting into the system. The arrogance of some of you has been shocking. Professionals have to have respect, patience and humility as well as the strength to bounce back. Being a 'novice' is not an excuse and you can't learn these things from a course or a book. If you haven't got the temperament to be a writer then perhaps you should stick to your day job and stop spoiling what is a great initiative for the rest of us. Someone in an earlier post mentioned an 'X-Factor' attitude. That pretty much sums it up. It's all very well to give everyone a chance, but that doesn't mean that everyone who fancies a life as a writer has the ability and attitude to achieve it. We don't have an automatic right to 'be a writer' because it sounds more exciting than being an office worker. People are always sayiing 'ooh, writing that sounds exciting' when I tell them what I do. Exciting? Sitting at my computer every free hour god sends? Never going out? Struggling with plots and structure, researching for weeks, re-writing and re-writing until you're sick of the sight of it? Then hearing nothing? I'd rather get my excitement on a jet ski in Cancun. Even the most talented writers do actually have to write something. How can you be so full of yourselves when many of you have admitted that this was your first or second script, and then only 30 minutes long? Get down off your high horses and work from the bottom (unintentional toilet humour). That's the only way to do it. Hear endeth the lesson. I have spent far too long away from my entry for the Rise Summer Challenge and will now go back to it - it's going to be a killer. I just got so frustrated, I had to say something. This blog is a useful tool but it has, in my opinion, been abused. Thank you Paul and your team for the opportunities on Writersroom. The fact that we can submit unsolicited material at any time is miraculous - as anyone who has trolled through lists of production companies and agents will know. I will keep a regular eye on opportunities and submit but cannot bear to look at this blog again - it is far too exasperating! I wish you all the gifts of dedication to hard work and unlimited patience.
Complain about this comment
And yes I know I wrote 'trolled' instead of 'trawled'. I think my mind was on something else for some reason.
Complain about this comment
On gzornanplat's forum, several of us have put up our scripts and the standard/talent is phenomenal, so it is no wonder that the beeb were struggling to select the top 25. Some fab writers out there.
Complain about this comment
I agree with juggles, there are some fab writers out there,
For mabelnomates, there are some of us who have expressed realy gratitude to the crew from the bbc, we are not all ungreatful or on our high horses.
Glad you blogged though and got it off your chest bottling stuff up aint no good either.
Good luck for the summer compitition, quite a few of us are entering it also, so good luck all.
Take care
Dawn
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS